It Took So Long-Chapter 1
by Shiann Reece
Summary: Celes Chere had a twin sister that she never knew about, they were separated at birth. This is the story of their reunion, with action/adventure and romance.


  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Final Fantasy characters. They belong to Squaresoft. Ketura Chere is the only character that belongs to me.   
  
  
  
The slim girl stared out at the sweeping skyline. The land fell away as she was lifted higher and higher into the clouds. What do you hold? She silently asked the unseen lands beyond her own. Someday I'm going to travel the world, and see everything. She leaned her body forward and clutched the reins tighter. She was on the back of an powerful dragon, his green tinted scales bright and beautiful.  
The girl made a strange sound in the back of her throat and the dragon slowed it's flight and dived lower among the edges of the clouds. The wind whipped her pale blonde hair and she lifted her arms in reverie. There's no feeling like it in the world. I feel like I'm flying.   
She leaned down again and laid her head against her Detarr, her dragon. She had gone flying out a little later than usual, the sun already starting to set. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift away, little realizing the danger of falling asleep.   
Hours later, she awoke with a start. Panic filled her mind as she realized what had happened. She had no idea where she even was, she was terribly afraid. Dragons followed the commands of their masters sacredly. Since she had not told Detarr to head home, he had continued flying.   
With shock, she realized that they were flying very low. Anybody could have seen them. No land in sight, just a deep expanse of dark ocean. Strange, it's not blue, it's a deep purple. She felt incredibly hot too. She suddenly spied a speck of land on the horizon, and she hesitated. Well, I guess it's better to find out how far away from Srevepah we've flown, maybe they'll give us directions. She kicked Detarr's sides and he flew faster, the land rapidly growing larger in the distance. There was a desert on the land, and a strange-looking castle. Just as Detarr was circling lower to begin to land she heard a loud sound coming in the sky, quickly approaching. She felt terribly frightened and decided to turn around.  
She began to tell Detarr to head in another direction, but it was too late. A large, strange ship was flying through the sky, headed right for them. She pulled Detarr's reigns to the left, hoping to avoid a head-on crash. The flying ship turned in the same direction, and crashed into the dragon and its rider. She screamed as she felt herself tore from the saddle and fell through the air. She hit something, and the world faded into darkness.  
  
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Celes Chere sighed and cast her line out. It was three months after the showdown with Kefka, and she was feeling very depressed. "Why do I feel like this?" She asked herself aloud. "Kefka is defeated, the world is saved, and all my friends are coming back here."  
Celes sat herself down and looked at her reflection sadly. She saw a girl of nineteen, with blonde hair and wide blue eyes. Tears started to streak her cheeks, but she quickly wiped them away with the back of her hand. She wasn't one to always show her emotions easily, at least she hoped so.   
She was fishing in the moat around Figaro Castle. After they had defeated Kefka, she had really had no place to go, so Edgar invited her to stay for awhile. All the others seemed to have some kind of life to go back to, or at least a place where they belonged. But me, I don't have anyone. Cid's gone, the only family I've ever known. She remembered sadly back to her Grandfather's death on the tiny island.  
For awhile, the excitement lingered over their victory, but after everyone left or went back to their duties, Celes felt a little abandoned. She had wandered Figaro Castle endless times, and had even ventured into the desert on a few occasions. She had felt restless, with no one to really talk to. The castle girls are idiots. All they do is fawn over themselves and talk about guys, especially Edgar. Edgar, he's all right, but he's busy ruling his kingdom. I don't even think I've spoken to him half a dozen times in these three long months. Celes sighed again.   
Most of her thoughts lingered on one certain person, Locke Cole. He had stayed at Figaro Castle for over six weeks, and then announced he was leaving. Celes had pleaded  
and practically begged for him to stay, but he was determined to go. He had heard that Siegfried had been boasting about some treasure in Phoenix Cave. Apparently, Locke had believed that he had found all the treasure in the fiery cave, but he was mistaken. This thought was enough to send Locke packing and headed off. Celes remembered their goodbyes to each other with a slight bitterness.   
Locke had just been headed off the bridge into the desert, when Celes ran after him, breathless. "L-locke. Are you leaving now?" Celes gasped between breaths.  
Locke looked at her like she was crazy. "Of course I am, I can't stay here. There's treasure in Phoenix Cave! I'm gonna beat that pompous Siegfried to it! I'll show him who's the greatest treasure hunter in the world!" He said in excitement.  
Celes frowned at him. "All for the treasure, huh?"  
"Well, it is treasure." Locke countered. "There's nothing here for me. It's driving me crazy to stay locked up in this castle. I'm a treasure hunter, I have to be out and about."  
Celes couldn't believe her ears. "Nothing?!"  
Locke shrugged. "Yeah, well, I gotta get going. Sooner I start out, the sooner I get the treasure." He stared at the desert, giving her a hint that he was impatient to leave.  
Celes felt tears well up her eyes, but she bit her lip to keep from crying. "Well, since there's nothing here for you, you'd better go. Take care of yourself."  
"Is something bothering you?" Locke asked in concern.   
"No, no, it's nothing, get going. You show Siegfried who's boss." Celes managed a weak smile, knowing that any moment she was going to burst into tears.   
Locke smiled broadly and gave her a quick goodbye hug. "That's my girl." And with that, he headed off and disappeared into the desert.   
Celes remembered how she had cried for two straight hours after he had left. He said that there was nothing here for him. What am I? Chopped liver? She had once thought that he even might love her, before the destruction of the world. After the world split, when she was on the tiny island she had realized that she truly loved him. She had hoped against hope to find him, but when she had, all his thoughts seemed to be for Rachel, his lost love. She had found him with her other friends in the Phoenix Cave, searching for the Phoenix to revive Rachel.   
"What I wouldn't give to be her." She moped out loud. Then she remembered, and regretted the thought. Rachel had died in an Imperial attack, and though she envied Locke's love for her, Celes was glad that she was alive.   
Oh my hero, so far away now, how I long to see your smile.......No, not again, I've got to stop thinking about him. His heart will never belong to me. Celes chided herself. Even when we first met, when he rescued me, he only promised to protect me because of his guilt over Rachel's death. It was never for me, it was all for her. All for her.  
Celes's thoughts were interrupted as she felt a jerk on her line. "Whoa! This is a big one!" she laughed. She had taken up fishing shortly after Locke's departure, and it seemed that she had a natural knack for it.   
She stood up and strained against the weight of the huge fish. "This must be the biggest fish I've ever caught. You won't get away from me!" She said through clenched teeth.   
But this was one big, determined fish. She pulled and struggled for a full five minutes, but she was rapidly losing strength. She felt her arms weaken and her knees buckled. Well, I may not catch you, but you can't have this pole, I spent 500 GP on it. She felt the line relax a little and she smiled in triumph over her victory. But the fish had other ideas. Before she had a chance to think, she felt an enormous tug from the end of the line and she felt herself being pulled over the edge.   
Celes screamed as she dropped the pole and tumbled head first into the moat. She landed with a huge splash and sputtered to the surface. With her hair dripping in her eyes, she watched a four and a half foot fish happily swimming away, her pole trailing behind him.  
Celes kicked the water. "Drat! You cursed fish! I'll get you sooner or later!" And she shook a fist in the direction of the disappearing fish.  
She heard a loud laugh directly above her. Celes groaned in humiliation. She hoped that whoever it was hadn't watched the whole scene, she felt like a total idiot.   
"Need a hand?" A male voice asked her and stretched out a hand.   
"Setzer?! Is that you?" Celes gasped in horror.  
"The one and only." The tall, silver-haired gambler grinned at her mischievously. "Come on, take my hand."   
Celes grabbed his hand and he helped pull her out of the moat. Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment as she stood shaking and dripping. "How long have you been here?"  
Setzer eyes took on an amusing look, and he tried to hide another grin. "Long enough."  
Celes glared at him, and he couldn't keep the smile back. "You know, I could give you a few tips. I happen to be excellent at fishing myself, when I'm not flying or gambling, that is."   
"Or kidnapping opera singers?" Celes retorted hotly, hoping to annoy him.  
But Setzer only laughed louder this time. He even slapped his knee. "Celes, you kill me. You're the comic relief around here."   
Celes couldn't resist the temptation to slug him, so she did. Her swing was wide, and he easily ducked in time. "Whoa, whoa, I surrender, I surrender. Can't compete with that swing." He lifted his hands in surrender, and backed away. She was going to punch him again, but she tripped on her spare fishing pole. Her body was flung forward, and she hit Setzer. Setzer fell backwards, and a wet Celes landed on almost on top of him. She stared at him in shock, his face so close to hers. She quickly scrambled up, blushing furiously.   
Setzer stood up and stared at Celes for a split second, something unreadable in his eyes. Then he looked down at his clothes and laughed. "I'm as wet as you, Celes."   
Celes just mumbled a reply, still embarrassed. Both because he had witnessed the fish incident and because she fell on him. "Come on, let's go to the castle, I bet some of the others might have arrived by now." He quickly slung an around her shoulders, buddy-style, and she shrugged him off.  
"Whoa! What did I do?" Setzer said in mock surprise.  
Celes quickly recovered from her humiliation. "I'll tell you, Mr.Gabbiani, you just ruined my day." Then she stomped off angrily into the castle.   
Setzer stared at her retreating back, and shrugged. "Don't know what's wrong with her, just having a little fun." He spotted her fishing pole, picked it up, and followed a trail of water into the castle.  
  
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Celes threw her scrub brush out of the tub angrily. "Of all the lazy, ignorant men...." she gumbled. Then her anger quickly drained. She didn't know why, but her temper had been flaring up lately. She didn't like it, but it seemed like she couldn't control it, especially today. I'll have to apologize to him later.........she didn't like swallowing her pride, but she didn't like losing her temper in front of people, either.  
She stood up and wrapped the towel around her, sighing happily. A good warm bath can do wonders for you. She laid down on her bed, half drifting off to sleep, when she heard a sharp rap on the door. Who in the world? she thought with a slight annoyance.  
"Coming!" She yelled frantically as she quickly dressed in a simple tunic and pants.  
She grabbed the doorknob and swung open the door, shocked at the visitor. "Relm!"  
The young, curly-headed girl smiled in excitement. "Hey, Celes! How's it going?"  
Celes hugged her young friend. "I'm great. Is it already time for the ball?"  
"Nope, it's tomorrow, me and Grandad are here a day early. I begged him to let me come a day early. I wanted to be one of the first here to greet everybody. I'm so excited!" Relm waved her paintbrush in the air.  
Celes smiled, and ducked. Relm could be pretty lethal with her paintbrush. She sketched the most beautiful pictures. She even had the strange and wonderful ability to sketch monsters and use their own attacks against them. Relm had saved them many times in past battles. Relm looked at Celes quizzically, then put down her paintbrush.   
"Whoops, sorry." She said sheepishly.  
Celes laughed, not realizing how much she had missed Relm with all of her enchanting ways. She had missed all of her friends, and her thoughts drifted back to Locke and she frowned. She didn't even know if he were coming back for their reunion and the ball.   
"Thinking about Locke?"  
"What, huh?" Celes asked in shock.  
"You know what I mean, Locke Cole, the greatest treasure hunter in the world?" Relm said seriously. "And not to mention, a very cute guy."  
Celes felt her jaw drop. "What-how-how did you know?" she demanded.  
"It's so obvious, Celes. Believe me, I know these things." Relm nodded assuredly.  
"O-obvious? Oh no!" Celes sat on her bed.   
Relm sat down next to Celes. "Ok, well, so you like the guy? What's wrong with that? He's probably coming tommorrow."   
Celes looked up. "You really think so?" She asked hopefully. "Aw, who am I fooling? I just happen to love the guy, and he doesn't take a second glance anymore at me." She said in despair.  
"Hey, don't beat yourself up. If he's the kind of guy that I think he is, he realize how great you are. Men are so blind sometimes." Relm lifted her hands in a gesture of frustration.  
Celes lifted her eyebrows. "Since when did you become so wise?"  
Relm shrugged.  
"You're only eleven."  
"Twelve, almost twelve. In two months and sixteen days to be exact." Relm said matter of factly.   
Celes nodded, grinning. "Oh, ok, I see."   
Relm hopped off the bed, full of childish energy. "Well, come on, let's see if anybody else is here." She grabbed Celes's hand and pulled her to her feet and out the door.   
Celes knew one person who had certainly arrived, but she didn't want to think of him at all.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
